Jacksboro's Keondrae Sadler makes the catch for a first down as he is tackled by Tolar's Kannen Adams Friday, Oct. 19, 2018, in Jacksboro. The Tigers defeated the Rattlers 42-21. Lauren Roberts/Times Record News

Jacksboro's Ethan Sanchez gets some water from Keondrae Sadler during a timeout in the game against Tolar Friday, Oct. 19, 2018, in Jacksboro. The Tigers defeated the Rattlers 42-21. Lauren Roberts/Times Record News

Iowa Park receiver Kaden Ashlock (24) hauls in a pass before being knocked out of bounds by Vernon Lions defender Tyler Reeves (9) during Friday night's game in Iowa Park. Torin Halsey/Times Record News

Hirschi's Johnny Taylor (75) and K.D. Dorsey (14) set the edge for a touchdown run by Daimarqua Foster against Gainesville on Friday, Oct. 19, 2018 at Memorial Stadium. Patrick Johnston/Times Record News

WOODROW – On the outside looking in, it appears the Rider Raiders hadn’t left their offensive woes behind them after all.

The Raiders managed just 235 yards and one touchdown in a 27-7 loss to District 3-5A Division II foe Lubbock Cooper at Pirate Stadium on Friday. The Rider offense that appeared to find an identity with its ground attack last week after running for 301 yards against Abilene Wylie was stymied for just 73 rushing yards Friday.

Scoring against Wylie and trying to find the ball against the Pirates are two vastly different circumstances. Respectfully, there’s a reason the Bulldogs are winless, and Cooper is ranked eighth in the latest Associated Press Class 5A state poll.

And the Pirates’ defense is rolling, having given up just nine points in their last three games. Cooper is allowing 9.6 points per game in its last five contests after opening the season giving up 92 points in close wins over Andrews and Lubbock Coronado.

“It’s part of growing as a unit,” Cooper coach Max Kattwinkel said. “They’ve made improvements every week. I always knew we had the ability to do it. It was just putting it together. Obviously, you don’t want to play your best football early in the season. I just think the defense has matured and come a long way since then.

“We have a lot of respect for Rider and the ability of their skill players. That’s a talented team. We knew they were able to run the ball last week and we focused on stopping that and forcing them to throw.”

Rider coach Marc Bindel knew the Raiders were going to have to put the ball in the air to beat Cooper and did so successfully at times. Sophomore quarterback Jacob Rodriguez completed 13 of 21 passes for 162 yards, including a 44-yard strike to Ranse Radtke that cut the deficit to 20-7 with 8:30 left in the game.

Rider's Jacob Rodriguez (10) passes the ball down field during the game against Lubbock-Cooper, Friday, Oct. 19, 2018, in Woodrow, Texas. [Brad Tollefson/A-J Media](Photo: Brad Tollefson)

Rodriguez was also picked off twice, although one came off a deflection after senior tight end Kyler Spear couldn’t bring in a high pass inside the 10-yard line in the first quarter. If Rodriguez can complete that pass to Spear, there was a good chance he scores.

Instead, Cooper drove 79 yards for the game’s first touchdown on a 12-yard run by Jacob Dennis.

“I feel like we were just a handful of plays from being right there with them in this game,” Bindel said. “I don’t see this performance as going backward. We made some mental and physical mistakes tonight, but I thought we threw the ball better for the most part.

“If Kyler can bring in that catch, then that’s a touchdown. There was a play where (Samuel Manuel) got behind the defense but couldn’t keep his feet or else he would have scored. We end up with no points on that drive. If we just have those two plays, then we’re right there with a really good team.”

Kattwinkel agreed. While Rider never threatened to run down the Pirates after they went up three scores late in the third quarter, they never felt comfortable with the lead until Ty Carter outjumped a Rider defender for a catch and then carried him 15 yards for a 44-yard TD from quarterback Brenden Mehl.

Rider picked off Mehl three times, but the senior quarterback’s trust in his receivers paid off to put the game away. Mehl completed 11 of 16 passes for 147 yards and the lone TD. Cooper rushed for 245 yards, including 168 by dynamic running back Isaiah Johnson.

Johnson found the end zone twice, but his 47-yard TD run in the second quarter displayed the explosion that makes him an early favorite for the 3-5A Division II MVP award.

Explosive plays are something the Pirates can get frequently, even against good defenses like Rider has. It’s a trait the Raiders’ offense is trying to learn.

“Rider did a pretty good job on our run game, but we were able to make some big plays when we had to,” Kattwinkel said. “Hats off to Rider. They’re a good football team. I was telling coach Bindel after the game, there’s a possibility of these two teams meeting again in the playoffs. That would be fun.”